Hilary Rosen’s ex tries to diffuse furor over Ann Romney comment

Hilary Rosen's comment last week on CNN that Ann Romney, wife of presumptive Republican presidential nominee, had 'never worked a day in her life,' has caused a political firestorm that has yet to subside.

Elizabeth Birch, Rosen's parner until 2006, is speaking out about the fallout against the woman with whom she is raising twins adopted in 1999.

'There is something just wrong with people twisting concerns for women and jobs into mom-on-mom conflict,' Birch, a former head of the Human Rights Campaign, writes in Huffington Post. 'Hilary Rosen is an amazing, loving and dedicated mother to our twins. I have absolutely no doubt Ann Romney and Hilary spend most of their waking hours worrying about the same things: how to best support their children in this complicated world.'

Rosen, who regularly appears on various CNN programs giving a Democratic party perspective on issues, had been speaking last week in the context of believing Mitt Romney was unqualified to speak about the kinds of economic issues facing women in America because his knowledge of women's issues comes from his wife, the mother of their five sons, who had never had to struggle financially.

Rosen has been criticized by Republicans and Democrats alike even though she apologized and tried to make clear that she was not dissing stay-at-home moms.

'I apologize to Ann Romney and anyone else who was offended,' she said last week. 'As a pundit, I know my words on CNN … were poorly chosen.'

Birch believes the controversy is 'manufactured' and hopes that people will call a truce and move on.

'Let's take off the gloves, women of America — because this is a manufactured battle over things on which we mostly agree,' writes Birth. 'And frankly, I don't want our kids to be the subject of any battle.'

Rosen is an LGBT activist and political strategist who was once head of the Recording Industry Association of America during the period of the music industry that coincided with the rise of internet technology.